Doing the best I can do

My title says it all. I have many tops sewn together, but never seem to get them quilted. so message to myself was Quilt As You go methods is my choice for now. 

I wound bobbins and used a pile of batting scraps that were laying there and then I found a piece of backing fabric in my Mother's stash so I started. 

I did mostly stitching in the ditch on these blocks. They are 11 1/2 inch squares. The center 9-patch is only 2 1/4 inch squares. They were tiny pieces from a zippered bag I bought at a thrift store. I thought I would stitch them together then just kept going. No there is no pattern. I just kept sewing until I was pleased with the looks. 

They have been done for about two years. I thought I am not getting tops quilted and I need space for storage. I had about 30 of these laying there and I wasn't happy with what was on TV so this took me and hour to do three. 

I like the look and a mottles tan stip will connect the blocks when I go to sew them all together. For today after my big shopping day for the month I will go back and sandwich a few and stitch when I can. 

Look outside the box and figure out how to make it work at this point is my goal. I use pieces others would throw out and yet I am making a pleasing look with this scrappy quilt. One piece at a time and at my pace is the goal today. 

Hope you have a great day. Chris

Sewing but frustrated

Tjhe girls are growing up so fast so I have some poly/cotton pieces. I wanted to make some longer tops to wear with pants and shorts. 

Autumn wears a 6 /6X in manufactored clothing. so I bought a 6 sz in a pattern. Well it is like a sz 8. 

I cut it out and sewed it this far. I have a skirt ready to gather and sew on the top., but I will finish it and store it until she grows into it. 

I have more of this fabric and I will cut the smaller sz out and make a couple more for the other girls in  the appropriate sizes. 

I have really been off my game for awhile. We have had the girls a lot lately and it takes away from sewing time. I think I need a sewing machine in each room so I can stitch a few seams while cooking or waiting for something else to happen. 

I was watching YouTube and found a quilter that has 33 videos and she shares her techniques for printing on fabric with your home printers and also making t

shirt quilts and also sweatshirt quilts.

She is listed as Lisa Capon Quilts & Journals on YouTube. 

She is a prson who likes to find easy methods to get the best results. 

Hope you enjoy them. Chris   

Warmer weather

Good Morning, Not much going on on the sewing front.I ordered some clothing patterns for the girls,  but haven't gotten any sewing done.

The unpinned quilt top is still unpinned. The placemats I started are still not finished. I just haven't been in there to get anything done.

The oldest Granddaughter autumn is here. She will go back home tonight and come back Tuesday for three days. Mom and Dad have to go out of town. The other two are going to their other Grandma's. Autumn is good by herself and older so I don't have to keep my eyes on her all the time.

She asked grandpa to get her bike out and with the warmer weather we have a long drive so she can be outside riding it. She knows I have rules and she does follow them. So far!

We had a birthday party for my son's 41 st birthday yesterday. So I need to get some things put away. We got all the dishes cleaned up and counters wiped off so that is the major stuff.

Hope you got some sewing done over the weekend. I sure didn't Chris

Cleaning House

No pictures of the mess. We took curtains down and washed them. We dusted the ceiling and the walls. We plan to wallpaper soon so that needed to be dusted anyway.

The knick knacks are dusted and wiped off with a wet cloth to get rid of film. My husband smokes by the door with it open, but it drifts into the house.

We are having family in on Sunday for my son's birthday. He turns 41 years old on Sunday. Where do the years go?

The sun is out so now is the time to get the dust and junk out of here. Some things got removed. We have some plants and they are overgrown so they were trimmed back.

I went shopping and got some groceries we needed and also some things we didn't need, but can replace some worn items.

Hope you are able to sew and not have to clean like I am. Chris

Back to sewing some

I bought a 8 pc bundle from Quiltedtwins.com

 They are food or veggie prints. I add a green and tan to the mix and I am making Bargello type placemats.

I took a picture of this and realized the bottom row was not right. So ripped it off and corrected it. 

I cut the 8 half yard pieces into strips. The strips are 2.5 inch cut the width if the fabric. Then I added the green and tan with that. I stitched them into a tube after stitching the widths together.

I then subcut the tube into 2.5 inch strip sets. After getting 7 for each placemat. I then opened up the tube to each row in a different spot. As you can see the colors go diagonally across the mat. 

I wanted some large placemats since my table is so large. I have white and deep red dishes. So this will work for covering the table and  make a bright splash to a table setting.

Today is Valentines Day. Hope you have a Great Day. It is also my 66th Birthday. I plan on it being a quiet day. Hopefully sewing. Take Care Chris 

Winter has been here

This was 5 days ago we have had so much more since then. The TV weatherman said we have had 15 inches in our area. We push the snow from the driveway to the grassy area because we have no place else. Our neighbors house is less than 10 feet from our drive so we have to respect her house. We are running out of places to push it.  

This is the second rainbow scarf I have knitted for the girls. They are into learning colors in school and their was a request for them. I have knitted so much my hands are hurting. So today will be a stitching day on the machine.

I need to still pin baste the quilt top that gave me so much trouble, but I don't think I can even close a safely pin right now. 

Hope you are staying warm and safe. 

PS. I bought some needles on Amazon and received them in the mail. I wanted Topstitching needles that are Titanium coated. I found a great deal and ordered a 100 of them. They were much cheaper than buying from coupons. Check out other sources for your supplies. 

Take care Chris  

Waiting out the storm

I am all hunkered down waiting on the snow to come. I have been to the store and have supplies if we get snowed in for a few days. The storm is going to dump on us and when the wind comes from the NE is can be a real wild one.

We have snow on the ground and that is aboit 5 inches so another 8 plus inches will make a mess for awhile.

Snow warning and snow emergency warnings are out there. So we can't say we were not warned.

I expect my DIL to come today for a quick visit and the rest of the day will be laundry and also some sewing. I want to get some doll clothes done for some dolls the girls got for Christmas. They are at the age that clothes matter now.

As I get some of that done over the next couple days I will show you. Stay warm and safe. Chris

Fighting with a queen sized quilt and pin basting

This is my third attempt at pin basting this queen sized quilt. In the past I have machine quilted queen size, but I always did them in sections and sewed the sections together.

Since I have failed horrible with stretching this out and being successful I am doomed to repeat the method that worked before. I will unpin all of it and take the top apart in quarter sections. Then I will cut the backing and the batting and pin each section.

I pulled and smoothed until I was blue in the face. The backing stuck to the batting which is 80/20 and it wouldn't move so I assumed it was working. NOT!!!!!

I am so frustrated. I really would like to have this quilted. Now it might end up folded away. This is why I have so few of my tops quilted. Wish I could afford to send them out to a longarmer.

Hope you have a better day than what I have been having. Chris

Recovery Day

Three days and nights of having two little ones. Mom and Dad had to go to Ames Ia. for a cattle show. My son and his wife raise Aberdeen Angus Cattle. They are Pure Breds.

The Older one went with Mom and Dad. She loves animals. At some point she will probably showing and training calves.

The baby is starting to show her character. They call her "The Bossy Baby" like the movie that is out. She rules the house for sure. She has a temper and throws herself down and does the whole temper thing.

So today I need to recover physically and also my house. My DIL did make the girls pick up which helped tremendously.

I need to clean bathrooms and pick up nasty garbage if you know what I mean. Phew!

Hope you start your week out with a clean slate and you can sew all day long. Chris